Air diffuser



L. R. PHILLIPS Jan. 8, 1963 AIR DIFFUSER Filed June 17, 1960 INVENTOR. LEONARD R. PHILLIPS BY l", b r

ATTORNEYS Patented dan.. 1953 ffice pas DKFFUSER Leonard E.. Phillips, West Hartford, Conn., assigner to Arnemostat Corporation of America, New Yorin Nlf., a corporation of Deiaware Filed .ilune 17, 1960, Ser. No. 36,976 1i? Cieirns. (Cl. 98-4t9) This invention relates to air diffusers for supplying air to a room or other enclosure for heating, cooling, ventilating, or other purposes. More particularly, the invention relates to air diffusers of the type which are particularly adapted to be substantially concealed in a ceiling of a room so as to discharge air through a narrow elongated slot in the ceiling.

It is the general object of the invention to provide a ceiling mounted air diffuser which provides for the discharge of air in a wide flat stream along and closely adjacent the surface of the ceiling in which it is mounted, the said shape and location of the air stream being maintained at a location remote from the point or line of air discharge to the end that objectionable air drafts are avoided.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an air diffuser of the type mentioned and which is particularly adapted for ready connection with a ceiling mounted light xture.

The drawing shows a preferred embodiment of the invention and such embodiment will be described, but it will be understood that various changes may be made from the construction disclosed, and that the drawing and description are not to be construed as deming or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a vertical transverse section through an air diffuser embodying the present invention and a light fixture.

FiG. 2 is a side view of the air diffuser of PIG. 1 with one side wall thereof partially broken away.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical transverse section of the air diffuser of FlG. 1 showing a portion of the diffuser' adjacent an air discharge slot therein.

An air diffuser embodying the present invention is shown in the drawing in association with a concealed or flush light fixture mounted within a ceiling and the diffuser will be so described as its advantages are thereby particularly well illustrated. 1t is to be understood, however, that air diffusers constructed in accordance with the invention have a wide variety of other uses in association with ceilings or other room walls. For example, an air diffuser embodying the invention may be mounted in a ceiling of the type referred to as a hung ceiling and the diffuser may be situated so as to discharge air from a narrow elongated slot between adjacent but spaced beams or other structural elements. in such event, the diffuser can be entirely separate from and independent of any light fixture in or on the ceiling.

Referring particularly to HG. 1 of the drawing, a ceiling of a room or other enclosure is provided with an elongated opening 12 for receiving an elongated light fixture indicated generally at 1d. The light fixture 14 is shown as including illuminating means comprising a pair of parallel elongated gas glow tubes 16, 16, a support means for said tubes indicated generally at 1S, and a housing. The housing includes an elongated horizontal top wall 2d, similar opposing elongated vertical side walls 22 and 211 and similar short vertical end walls 26, 26, one shown. The top wall 2i) of the housing is or may be secured to a beam 23 or the like as by means of screws 3f), 30, one shown. Thus, the light xture may be supported within the opening 12 with the support means 18,

18 and the gas glow tubes 16, 16 mounted in its housing in a conventional manner.

When the light fixture 14 is secured in the ceiling opening 12 as shown, the housing side walls 22 and 24 have their lower edges substantially hush with the lower surface of the ceiling 10, or, it may be said that said lower edges lie substantially in the plane of the lower surface of the ceiling. The lower edges of the end walls 26, 26 of the housing of the light fixture are similarly situated with respect to the lower surface of the ceiling 10. Thus, a cover plate as indicated generally at 32 may be placed over the bottom of the light fixture housing to close the same and to provide for an attractive appearance. The cover plate 32 is shown as including a transparent centrai portion 374i, for the downward passage of light from the illuminating means 16, 16, and a marginal fiange portion 36 which overlays a marginal portion of the lower surface of the ceiling 11i adjacent and around the opening 12. 'I he cover plate 32 may be secured in place by conventional means not shown.

Still referring to FIG. l, an air diffuser indicated generally at 3S is shown connected along one side wall 24 of the light fixture housing. The diffuser 3E has elongated opposing side walls 48 and 50 and short. connecting end walls 52, 52, one shown. Said side and end walls are adapted to be entered vertically downwardly in the ceiling slot 12 so that the lower edges thereof are substantially iush with, or lie substantially in the plane of, the lower surface of the ceiling 1t). The diffuser 38 also has a top wall 54 which is connected with upper edges of said side walls 4S and Sti and said end walls 52, 52 and which cooperates therewith to define an air chamber 56. While the detailed construction of the diffuser may vary widely, it is shown as being formed of sheet metal with Ithe side wall 5d and the top wall 54 thereof formed integrally. The side wall i3 and the end walls 52, 52, on the other hand, are shown as being formed separately and connected together and connected with the top Wall 54 and the side wall Sti by suitable means such as welding. The diffuser is connectible with a supply of air and preferably the side wall 50 thereof is provided with an air inlet opening S8 as shown. An annular flange or collar d@ may be provided adjacent said inlet opening 58 as shown for attachment to an air supply conduit.

When the air diffuser 38 is particularly adapted for connection with the light fixture 14, the side wall 48 thereof is preferably substantially fiat as shown and is disposed in a vertical plane so as to lie adjacent the side wall 24 of the light fixture. The opposite side wall Sil of the diffuser 3S is also generally vertical but has a longitudinal portion 68 which projects inwardly above the lower edge of said wall. Said wall also has a longitudinal p0rtion 72 between said longitudinal portion 63 and said lower edge thereof and the portion 72 curves gradually downwardly and outwardly. Formed integrally with the side wall 5t) and along its lower edge is a narrow vertically extending flange 70 which engages the edge of the ceiling within the slot 12.

In their presently preferred form, means for connecting the diffuser 33 to the light fixture 14 comprise a narrow elongated vertical flange 7d which extends longitudinally along the upper edge of the side wall 48 of the diffuser, a corresponding narrow elongated longitudinal flange 76 on the housing of the light iixture #14, and suitable connecting bolts 7S, 73, one shown.

In accordance with the present invention and as best shown in FIG. 2, the side wall d8 of the air diffuser 38 is provided along its lower edge with an air deflecting means comprising an integral narrow elongated longitudinai flange 8@ which extends throughout the length of said side wall. The fiange 811 has an upper surface 82 which is generally flat and substantially parallel with the lower surface of the ceiling llfl in which the diffuser is mounted. As best shown in FEGS. 1 and 3, said flange Si) cooperates with the lower edge of the side wall Sti and the lower edges of the end walls 52, 52 of the diffuser to define a narrow elongated air discharge slot 8d. Said discharge slot S4 receives air from the air chamber 56 and discharges the same through a narrow elongated opening 85 in the aforementioned cover plate 36, the opening 85 being substantially coextensive with the discharge slot 84.

Air discharged from the slot 8d and through the opening 85 flows in a wide flat stream laterally and substantially at right angles with respect to the discharge slot horizontally along and closely adjacent the surface of the ceiling ld. Such air flow is provided for by the aforementioned upper surface 82 of the air deecting flange 80; the longitudinal inwardly projecting portion 68 of the diffuser side wall 5ft, and the gradually downwardly and outwardly Curved portion 72 of said side wall. Air flowing vertically downwardly in the air chamber 56 adjacent the side wall 48 of the diffuser is turned through approximately 90 to the horizontal by the deflecting flan-ge rear surface 82 for lateral and horizontal discharge from the slot 84. The inwardly projecting longitudinal portion 68 of the side wall 5f) extends partially across the width of the air discharge slot 84 upwardly therefrom and prevents significant air flow in a vertical downward direction from the chamber 56 through the said slot into the room or other enclosure. The vertical air stream which does pass downwardly in the vertical path which is open between the inwardly projecting wall portion 68 and the inner edge of the flange 8@ is deected laterally and horizontally by the aforementioned air stream which flows downwardly along the side wall 48, horizontally across the flange Sti and off the inner edge thereof. The gradually outwardly and downwardly curved portion 72 of the side wall 5d also induces the lateral and horizontal discharge of air from the slot S4 as air flowing downwardly thereover tends to adhere thereto and to turn through 90 from a vertical to a horizontal path.

As thus far described, the air diffuser 38 provides for the discharge of a wide dat air stream along and closely adjacent the lower surface of the ceiling ld and said air stream will retain its shape and will remain closely adjacent the ceiling for a substantial distance along the ceiling from the discharge slot S4. At a given distance from said discharge slot, however, the air stream will have a tendency to bunch together and to take on a generally circular cross-sectional shape. This phenomena is well known and is due at least in part to cohesive forces in the air stream. Obviously, as the air stream bunches or tends to become circular in cross section, its vertical dimension is increased and this may result in objectionable and even harmful air drafts on occupants of the room or enclosure.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a means is provided for substantially reducing the increase in the vertical dimension of an air stream discharged from the slot 84 and objectionable air drafts are thus greatly reduced if not completely eliminated. Said means includes iiow dividers adapted to separate an air stream discharged from said slot into a plurality of smaller parallel air streams and, in the preferred embodiment of the invention shown, the flow dividers take the form of upwardly offset portions 86, S6 on the air deecting ange 8f?. The offset portions 86, 86 are spaced longitudinally along the ange 8d and, as best illustrated in FIG. 3, they have inwardly and upwardly inclined upper surfaces 88. Said surfaces 88, 8S serve to split or separate the air stream as it passes over the defiecting flange whereby to provide the aforesaid plurality of smaller air streams for discharge from the slot 34. Each of said smaller air streams flowing along the ceiling 1t) may of course tend to bunch or take on a circular crosssectional shape, but it will be apparent that the resulting increase in vertical dimension of each of said streams will be substantially less than the increase in vertical dimension of a single large air stream as is provided without now dividers.

Another advantage is also obtained with the provision of the ow dividers comprising the offsets 86, S6. As is weil known, the induction of room or enclosure air into a stream of heating or cooling air is highly desirable. Substantial quantities of room or enclosure air are drawn into the spaces between the several small air streams created by the dividers 86, 6 as indicated by the broken line arrow in FIG. 3. Thus, the amount or degree of induction of room air is substantially increased when the flow dividers 56, 36 are provided.

in the preferred embodiment of the invention shown, there is also provided bafe means serving to direct air ow angularly outwardly from the ends of the air dis charge siot As shown, said means comprise two similar baffie plates 37, 37 which are secured within and at opposite ends of the diffuser as by welding. The baffle plates S7, d? are inclined downwardly and outwardly from the top wall 54 of the diffuser to their adjacent end walls 52, SZ so as to direct air flowing longitudinally toward the ends of the air chamber 56 in corresponding directions. As a result of the provision of the bafe plates 87, S7, air emitted from the discharge slot 84 tends to fan out as it flows along the ceiling and this further reduces the aforementioned tendency of the air to bunch and take on a circular cross section.

Preferably a means for regulating air flow through the air diffuser 38 is also provided and, as shown, said means includes a flat platelike damper 96. The damper is generally rectangular in shape as best illustrated in FIG. 2 and is disposed in the air chamber 56 adjacent the inlet opening 58 and supported by vertically spaced upper and lower mounting rods 92 and 94 for movement toward and away from the said inlet opening. The mounting rods 92 and 94 are similar and each of said rods is generally U-shaped. Body portions 96 and 98 of the rods extend horizontally along and adjacent the damper 9d on the side thereof opposite the inlet opening 58 and said body portions are journaled at opposite ends in suitable openings in bearing plates lltlt) and 102 mounted on the damper. At the free ends of the arms of each of the generally U-shaped mounting rods 92 and 94, integral laterally extending pivot pins 104, 104 are entered in suitable bearing apertures in bearing plates 166 and 10S secured to the side wall d8 or the diffuser 38.

It will be apparent that the mounting rods 92 and 94 may be swung upwardly and downwardly or in countern clockwise and clockwise directions respectively in the air chamber 56 to move the damper 90 toward and away from the inlet opening 58. An actuating lever is supported by a pivot pin 112 secured in the side wall 48 of the air diffuser for generally vertical swinging movement. In the upper end portion of the said actuating lever, an arcuate slot 114 slidably receives a drive pin 116 which is formed integrally with one of the pivot pins 104 on the mounting rod 94. Thus, a lower end portion 113 of the actuating lever may be moved angularly to pivot the lever about the pin 112 whereby tov urne the drive pin Ille upwardly and downwardly and toswing the mounting rods 92 and 94 as required to move the damper 9@ toward and away from the inlet opening 58. It will be observed that the said lower end portion 118 of the lever lift is accessible through the air discharge slot Se and is movable generally in a longitudinal plane along and within said slot. Thus, the said lever` is substantially concealed from view but may be conveniently manipulated to adjust the position of the damper 90 and to regulate air ow through the inlet opening 58,

and thence through the discharge slot 84 of the air diffuser.

The invention claimed is:

1. An air diffuser for discharging air through a narrow elongated opening in a ceiling of a room or other enclosure, said diffuser comprising elongated opposing side walls and short connecting end walls one of which walls has an opening therein connectible lwith an air supply duct and each of which side walls is adapted to be entered vertically in a narrow elongated ceiling opening so that its lower edge lies substantially in the plane of the lower surface of the ceiling, a top wall connected with said side and end walls and cooperating therewith to define a downwardly open air chamber, and a substantially horizontal air deflecting flange extending along and projecting from the inner surface of one of said side walls at its lower edge and cooperating with the lower edge portion of the opposite side wall and with the lower edges of the end walls to define a narrow elongated and downwardly open air discharge slot communieating with said air chamber, a longitudinally extending portion of said opposite side wall spaced upwardly from said air deflecting flange being formed to project inwardly and toward said flange, said projecting longitudinal side wall portion and the upper surface of said air deflecting flange serving cooperatively to effect air discharge from said slot in a direction substantially parallel with the ceiling and in a wide flat stream closely adjacent the lower surface of the ceiling.

2. An air diffuser as set forth in claim 1 and including a series of flow dividers formed on and spaced longitudinally along said air deflecting flange, said flow dividers serving to separate a stream of air flowing over the upper surface of said flange into a plurality of parallel smaller air streams as said stream is emitted from said air discharge slot.

3. An air diffuser as set forth in claim l wherein said opposite side wall curves gradually downwardly and outwardly from its said projecting longitudinal portion to its said lower edge portion so as to further induce air flow from said discharge slot in a direction parallel to and in closely adjacent relationship with the lower surface of the ceiling.

4. -An air diffuser as set forth in claim 3 and including a series of flow dividers spaced longitudinally along said air deflecting flange and projecting upwardly therefrom and serving to separate an air stream into a plurality of parallel smaller air streams as it passes over said flange prior to discharge from said air discharge slot.

5. An `air diffuser as set forth in claim 4 and including a damper in said air chamber movable in one and au 0pposite direction to regulate air ilow through the chamber and through said air discharge slot.

6. An air diffuser as set forth in claim 1 and including baille means in said air chamber serving to direct air angularly outwardly from opposite ends of said air discharge slot whereby to provide for a `fan shaped wide at air stream along the ceiling.

7. An air diffuser for discharging air through a narrow elongated slot in a ceiling of a room or other enclosure, said diffuser comprising elongated opposing generally vertical side walls adapted to be entered vertically in an elongated slot in a ceiling wall so that their lower edges lie substantially in the plane of the lower surface of the ceiling, short opposing generally vertical end walls connected between said side walls and having lower edges substantially in the plane of the lower edges of said side walls, a generally horizontal top wall connected to upper edges of said side and end walls and cooperating therewith the define a downwardly open air chamber, and a longitudinal air dellecting flange extending along the inner side and from end to end of one of said side walls at its lower edge and cooperating with the lower edge of the opposite side wall and with the lower edges of said end walls to define a narrow elongated downwardly open air discharge slot communicating with said air chamber, said flange having an upper surface =which is generally flat and parallel to the plane of the lower surface of the ceiling but which is provided with a series of longitudinally spaced flow dividers comprising upwardly offset portions of the flange having inwardly .and upwardly inclined upper surfaces, said opposite side wall having an inlet opening therein connectible with an air supply conduit and communicating with said air chamber and also having an inwardly projecting longitudinal portion spaced upwardly from said air discharge slot and which extends partially across the width of said slot, and another portion of said opposite side wall between said projecting longitudinal portion and said lower edge thereof being curved gradually downwardly and outwardly and cooperating with said projecting longitudinal wall portion and with the aforesaid dellecting flange and its flow dividers to provide for the emission of air from said discharge slot substantially in a plurality `of small parallel streams which flow along and closely adjacent the lower surface of the ceiling in which the diffuser is mounted.

8. An air diffuser as set forth in claim 7 and including .a flat platelike damper disposed in said air chamber adjacent said inlet opening, swingable mounting rods for said damper pivotally supported at said one side wall and adapted to move said damper toward and ,away from said inlet opening, and an actuating level for said mounting rods with one end movable generally in a longitudinal plane and accessible through said air discharge slot for manual manipulation.

9. An air diffuser as set forth in claim l wherein said opposite side wall is inclined gradually downwardly and inwardly above and toward said projecting longitudinal portion thereof.

10. An air diffuser as set forth in claim 3 wherein said opposite side wall is substantially flat above said projecting longitudinal portion and is inclined gradually downwardly and inwardly toward said portion and generally toward said upper surface of said air deflecting flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,197,614 Hall Apr. 16, 1940 2,848,934 Allander Aug. 26, 1958 2,920,357 Ericson Ian. 12, 1960 2,962,582 Croft Nov. 29, 1960 UNITED STATES PATENT oEEICE CERTIFICATE 0E CORRECTION Patent Non 3O72O38 January 8v 1963 Leonard Ro, Phillips It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the Aseid Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

column 6 5 line 4l, for U'leveln read Signed and sealed this 25th. day of June 1963u (SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST w. SWTDEE DAVID L. LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. AN AIR DIFFUSER FOR DISCHARGING AIR THROUGH A NARROW ELONGATED OPENING IN A CEILING OF A ROOM OR OTHER ENCLOSURE, SAID DIFFUSER COMPRISING ELONGATED OPPOSING SIDE WALLS AND SHORT CONNECTING END WALLS ONE OF WHICH WALLS HAS AN OPENING THEREIN CONNECTIBLE WITH AN AIR SUPPLY DUCT AND EACH OF WHICH SIDE WALLS IS ADAPTED TO BE ENTERED VERTICALLY IN A NARROW ELONGATED CEILING OPENING SO THAT ITS LOWER EDGE LIES SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE PLANE OF THE LOWER SURFACE OF THE CEILING, A TOP WALL CONNECTED WITH SAID SIDE AND END WALLS AND COOPERATING THEREWITH TO DEFINE A DOWNWARDLY OPEN AIR CHAMBER, AND A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AIR DEFLECTING FLANGE EXTENDING ALONG AND PROJECTING FROM THE INNER SURFACE OF ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS AT ITS LOWER EDGE AND COOPERATING WITH THE LOWER EDGE PORTION OF THE OPPOSITE SIDE WALL AND WITH THE LOWER EDGES OF THE END WALLS TO DEFINE A NARROW ELONGATED AND DOWNWARDLY OPEN AIR DISCHARGE SLOT COMMUNICATING WITH SAID AIR CHAMBER, A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING PORTION OF SAID OPPOSITE SIDE WALL SPACED UPWARDLY FROM SAID AIR DEFLECTING FLANGE BEING FORMED TO PROJECT INWARDLY AND TOWARD SAID FLANGE, SAID PROJECTING LONGITUDINAL SIDE WALL PORTION AND THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID AIR DEFLECTING FLANGE SERVING COOPERATIVELY TO EFFECT AIR DISCHARGE FROM SAID SLOT IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL WITH THE CEILING AND IN A WIDE FLAT STREAM CLOSELY ADJACENT THE LOWER SURFACE OF THE CEILING. 